Start spreading the news New York, New York
Chapter 9
Rating: T
A/N: This takes almost two weeks after Ryan's return from New York with Serena. He and Seth have still not spoke since the first day he came back from New York.
Serena was lying on the balcony in her yellow string bikini with sunglasses and looking there an interior décor magazine listening to her I-Pod to Alicia Keyes No One when she felt her cell phone vibrating next to her on the lounge. She paused her I-Pod taking out her ear buds while checking the caller id read Summer making her grin. Over the past two weeks Summer had called her consistently, come by to visit her and Ryan and also had gone shopping with or to lunch with her a few times. Serena was very glad to have Summer around and for her friendship.
"Hey" Serena greeted her cheerfully into the phone as the early morning sun.
"I SO need your help because Seth is driving me crazy. Now sex is not even working to shut him up." Summer vented to Serena from behind her desk at the EPA wearing a sleeves grey and white Grecian top with a grey slacks and matching high heels. "The only thing that will help is if he and Ryan stop being stubborn and make up already"
"I tried convincing Ryan to call him but he says it is up to Seth to call first. He says he is fine but he was been running like 8 miles every morning and always changes the subject or distracts me with sex. "Serena informed her of Ryan behavior lately the smiled into the receiver. "Really incredible sex"
"You suck! Atwood is buffing up and giving you sex while all I get to hear is 'I wonder what Ryan is doing right now' when I am trying to seduce him. It totally worked last week but now I am on the verge of a rage black out" Summer exclaimed feeling really annoyed and sexually frustrated.
"I have an idea to fix this problem. If they refuse to call or see each other we trick them into it" Serena explained to Summer who felt her stress leave her at hearing the idea. "Each of them thinks that we are meeting them but instead the ended up face to face with each other.
"Oh, I love how your mind works! You are brilliant" Summer told her new friend impressed with her solution then she frowned. "I wish I would have thought of it first" she added but recover quickly from her disappointment. " We have to pick a place they will be forced to talk to each other instead of leaving when they figured out we tricked them."
"That I am drawing a blank on" Serena said with no ideas at all needing Summer to come up with a solution.
"I know the perfect place and we should do it tonight because I am on the edge" Summer told her. "Do have a pen and paper ready so I can give you the details?" Serena reached down into her purse and pulled out a pen.
"Ready" She told her friend with the pen over top of the back of her magazine then began writing as Summer gave her the information.
Ryan sat at his desk wearing a white dress shirt and black dress slacks looking over a design when he heard his office phone ringing.
"Ryan Atwood. How can I help you?" He asked the phone professionally as he still was staring at the plan in front of him.
"That is a very good question, Mr. Atwood" Serena said into the phone in a seductive voice making him grin and leaned back in the chair as his eyes sparkled with mischievousness. "See my husband is at work and I am here home alone feeling so lonely laying here in the sun in my bikini on the balcony." She informed him in a pretend sad voice as he continued smiling into the phone.
"What kind of husband is he?" Ryan teased her playfully then glanced at the picture of them on his desk of them smiling and holding each other close. "If you can slip away this evening I am more than available" He told her as Serena smiled into the phone with a part of her wishing she was meeting him. 'I will just have to make it up to him when I get home' she thought feeling like it was getting hotter out.
"I was hoping that you would say that. How about you meet me after work at Kirsten's gallery? She asked me to do some inventory for her since she was busy. You and I could sneak in the back room and I can show you my tan lines" She told him in a breathy tone making Ryan's heart race. "Six thirty?"
"Well I hope you plan on going in early because once I get there when I get there you won't be working" He told her then glanced at the clock on the wall to see it was only 2pm. "Are you wearing the yellow bikini?" He asked her curiously leaned forward with a hand resting under his chin trying to picture her lying on their balcony.
"Why yes I am" She told him as he swallowed at the thought of it. "I better get in the shower so I can get over to the gallery before you arrive and distract me oh so well" She told him. "See you at six-thirty" she added in a seductive whisper then hung up the phone.
Ryan hung up the phone slowly with a smile then looked back done at his plans finding it now more difficult to concentrate.
Serena into Kirsten's art gallery close to six pm to find Summer standing there grinning at her wearing a red strapless tube dress with read high heels.
"Love your dress" Serena told her smiling as Summer spun around playfully.
"Your dress is pretty smoking. I think we need to take a trip to New York to go shopping" She said to her admiring Serena's satin tight fitting chocolate color with spaghetti straps with short kitten high heels.
"Thanks! Maybe after Ryan and Seth make up one weekend we can all take a weekend trip to New York the four of us?" Serena suggested as Summer nodded in agreement. "So what did you tell Seth to get him here?"
"I told him Kirsten needed us to do inventory for her and if he wasn't here by 6:20 he would be sleeping on the lawn tonight" She told her with a smile. "What did you tell Ryan?" She asked her then Serena's grinned and raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh you promised him sex. Boy is he going to be disappointed. Come on let's go hide incase one of them gets here early" Summer said to her holding up the keys with a smile then they disappeared down the hall to hide.
Twenty minutes later Seth walked into the open gallery door wearing jeans and a light blue button up shirt with tan sneakers to see Summer nowhere in sight. He did not what to find out if she was serious about him sleeping on the front lawn. Seth walked back down the hall and went into the large inventory room to find it empty then sighed assuming she was late and went behind on of the large shelves going to work hoping to get back in Summer's good graces.
Ryan walked through the front door of the gallery still in his work clothes with a smile noticing no sign of Serena. He snuck quietly with a smug smile on his face to the inventory room wanting to sneak up on her as Serena and Summer quietly watched from Kirsten cracked office door. Ryan opened the door quietly then entered the room quietly surprised not to she her there working. 'Maybe she is hiding behind a shelf' he thought as he shut the door quietly behind him causing Summer and Serena to hurry out of Kirsten office with their high heels in hand. Ryan glanced around the room and taking a few steps into the room startling Seth who dropped a picture from behind the shelf while outside Serena and Summer locked the door from outside then ran out of the studio stifling giggles.
"Are you pretending to play hard to get? Because if you are it's cute" Ryan teased as he approached the shelf then saw Seth stuck in head out in shock and confusion. "Seth?" He said confused as his brow furrowed and Seth stared at him with an open mouth while standing up.
"What are you talking about?" Seth asked him totally stunned to see his brother. "What are you doing here?" he said defensively to him crossing him arms over his chest while Ryan did the same.
"I am here to met Serena to help with inventory" He informed him in a cool tone. "What are you doing here?" He asked Seth who held his head up high.
"It sounds like you were here to do something but it wasn't inventory" He commented as Ryan stood unmoving with his arms crossed no emotion flickering over his face. "If you must know Summer asked me to…." He began then stopped and he threw his head back sighing loudly as he threw his arms down to his sides.
"We have been set up "Ryan realized at hearing the beginning of Seth explanation. 'They must have thought if they got us here we would talk." Ryan filled in the blanks as Seth looked at him.
"Well they thought wrong" Seth said to him then walked over past him to the door as Ryan stood there not moving already knowing the door was probably locked. "It's locked!" He exclaimed in frustration then turned around looking at Ryan who just stood there looking at him. Seth reached into his pocket grabbing his cell hitting Summer's name on the speed dial but it went straight to voicemail. "Summer I am very angry with you get back here and unlock this door. I mean it!" He yelled then hung up the phone and a moment later he heard his phone beep informing him that he had a text message from Summer. "See she is coming back" He told Ryan who took a seat leaning up against a shelf knowing that was not the case. Seth opened his phone and read the text 'We will leave in you two in there as long as it takes so TALK! Love ya!' Seth slumped down the door until he was sitting up against it.
"Their not letting us out "Ryan deduced from Seth looking glum as he sat against the door staring at the ceiling and shook his head. "We should talk Seth" Ryan said to Seth who looked at him quickly.
"I don't have anything to say to you" Seth told him firmly as Ryan nodded the rubbed his forehead. After a moment of silence Seth erupted. "I can't believe that you never even told me about meeting her all those times we talked! Why couldn't you tell me?! You got married without me being there. No bachelor party, no last night of Seth and Ryan time before you got hitched! You were my best man and I was supposed to be yours Ryan." He told him in a loud tone as Ryan felt relief that Seth was letting his anger out inside of keeping it in which is very unlike him.
"I should have told you about her. You are completely right about that and for that I am sorry." Ryan apologized to him as Seth stared at him not looking very accepting of him apology.
"Why didn't you?" Seth asked Ryan who sighed deeply as he sat up straight against the shelf behind him.
"I had not felt the way I did in a long time when I met Serena." He began to explain then paused. "Not since when I was sixteen. I just felt this connection to Serena that I can't explain and I knew I was only there for two weeks and you would ask me what I was going to do about it because I had no idea. So I just wanted to enjoy every second of it then deal with the rest as it came and I was scared of what I was feeling but did not want to let it go." He confided in Seth looking anxious while Seth face and eyes softened. Ryan still really wasn't that good or comfortable about expressing his emotions after all this time. Seth sat there feeling guilty for being such a brat about bitching about his hurt feelings when Ryan was happier then he had been in years. "It like when I came to live with Newport with you, Kirsten and Sandy because I knew it was right and I finally felt like I was home." He added as Seth felt even guiltier with Ryan really sharing his feelings.
"I owe you an apology for acting like a selfish brat." Seth said to Ryan surprising who went to speak. "Wait there is much more" He said now making Ryan unsure where this was going. "If you love her and she makes you happy then that is all that matters and I can tell that you really do. And I must say is HOT!" Seth finished with a smile and Ryan smiled and they laughed.
"She is really hot. I won't tell Summer that you said that either" Ryan said to his brother grinning who looked at him thankfully. "Serena and I have been talking about getting married again here so everyone could be there so I was hoping you would be my best man." He told Seth who grinned at him happily.
"I will be the BEST best man in history. You just wait Ryan and you will see" He said to him pointing a finger as Ryan nodded laughing. "No, I am totally serious. I am going to through you a killer bachelor party too" He informed him as Ryan looked at him wearily.
"Nothing too crazy and no strippers" He said to him as Seth looked at him shaking his head quickly.
"No way, man! Summer would kill me" He said to him looking scared and Ryan nodded in agreement.
"I am going to call Serena so she can let us out and maybe we could all have dinner together" Ryan said to Seth who nodded smiling as Ryan grabbed his cell phone and hit speed dial to call Serena.
"You're not mad are you?" Serena answers her phone nervously as her and Summer sat the bar across the street from the gallery with martinis in front of them. Summer elbowed her whispering to stay strong.
"No, not at all" He told her with a smile that she could hear in his voice making her grin into the phone. "I am actually quite impressed though. You can let us out now so we can all go to dinner" Ryan told her.
"Ok, we will be over there to let you out..." She began as Summer took the phone from her.
"Atwood, if you two didn't talk and you just want out I will have my rage black out on you." She warned him meaning exactly what she just said to him.
"Everything is fine" He told her honestly looking a little nervous that Seth noticed nodding then Summer promised they would be over and hung up the phone. Ryan hung up his phone looking at Seth.
"Talked to Summer, eh?' He asked as Ryan nodded at him. "She has been really close to a rage black out for the past week. We both know when that happens there is hitting"
"Yeah, I remember her accidentally hitting you a few times" Ryan said thinking back. He was happy that he and Seth were back to normal. "She could hold her own in Chino" He added as Seth nodded quickly in agreement. "Mike came over last week and we had a Virtua Fighter 5 and Mike kicked our asses. He should have another on because I think that he can take you because he is good" He told him as Seth shook his head.
"No way I AM still the master" Seth disagreed with him looking insulted. "Do you not remember the last time I bet him every round." He stressed to Ryan who shook his head smiling glad to have some Seth and Ryan time. They heard the storage room door being unlocked and Seth moved away from the door quickly as it opened and Summer stepped in staring them questioningly with Serena behind her smiling. "We made up I swear" He said holding up his hands and she grinned at him. "Clever idea tricking us and locking us in here" He said as she walked up to him then gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"It was Serena's idea to but I came up with the location" She said giving her friend credit. Serena walked over to Ryan who smiled at her pulling her to him leaning into her ear.
"Thank you" He whispered into her ear making her smile. Ryan pulled back slightly returning a smile then kissed her softly.
"Your welcome" She whispered to him then turned around facing Seth and Summer feeling slightly nervous about how ok Seth was with this.
"Serena" Seth began walking over to her. "I owe you an apology for the way I have been acting. Sometimes I can be a bit dramatic and stubborn" He added as Summer snorted and he ignored it. "I hope we can start over. Hi, I am Seth Cohen" He said extending his hand.
"Serena Atwood" She said shaking his hand as they both smiled at each other.
"It is good to meet you. Thanks for helping Ryan complete his mission and for the autograph that was SO awesome" He said to her. "How did you now where to find him? Did you look on the internet? Or did you get tipped of by your brother? What was he like when you met him? Did he seem to know who I was?" Seth questioned her as Serena looked at him with a grin as Ryan jumped in walking up putting his arm around her.
"We can talk about that at dinner come on I am starving" Ryan said to Seth who nodded and they exited the storage room.
"Wow, you described Seth perfectly" Serena said with a smile. "I like him" She added to him as Ryan grinned at her.
"Did you know Ryan thinks it cute when I play hard to get?" Seth said to them as Serena and Summer laughed and Ryan rolled his eyes as they exited the gallery locking it up.